The photo shows skiers experiencing the beauty of ice and snow in Altay.
They are 11 young men and women from Wellington, Auckland, and Hamilton in New Zealand. A group of skiing enthusiasts, they include a film director, composer, painter, engineer, university students, and couples. United by their shared passion, they plan to spend four months traveling together through countries such as China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Altay in Xinjiang is their first destination in China, and they are looking forward to spending a particularly memorable Christmas in Altay’s snowy wonderland this year.
Originally located in the southwest Pacific, New Zealand is in the middle of summer from December to February, with temperatures reaching 20°C–30°C — the hottest months of the year. New Zealand is a world-renowned skiing destination, home to famous ski resorts such as Treble Cone and Coronet Peak. July and August are the coldest months, with temperatures around -16°C. Skiers from many countries around the world avoid the heat and head there to ski, making it New Zealand’s peak tourist season. They felt it was very meaningful to come skiing in China during the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Through an internet search, they discovered that the General's Mountain Ski Resort in Altay City, Xinjiang, is a 5S-level natural ski resort. It is the birthplace of human skiing and also known as China’s skiing capital. Most importantly, it has a long skiing season, early snowfall, abundant snow, and also offers rich performances of Kazakh winter ice and snow folk culture. Therefore, on the day before Christmas Eve, after arriving at Urumqi Airport, they didn’t stop and immediately transferred to Altay City.